Gutti Vankaya

Instructions

1. Dry roast the peanuts and desiccated coconut separately until golden brown. Allow them to cool.
2. Grind the roasted peanuts and coconut into a coarse powder. Add red chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, and salt. Mix well to form the stuffing.
3. Make a cross slit on each eggplant without cutting through completely. Stuff each eggplant with the prepared peanut-coconut mixture.
4. Heat oil in a large pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they splutter, add curry leaves and chopped onions. Sauté until onions are translucent.
5. Add ginger garlic paste and sauté for another minute. Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they turn soft.
6. Place the stuffed eggplants gently in the pan. Add any remaining stuffing mixture and gently stir to coat the eggplants with the onion-tomato mixture.
7. Add tamarind paste and water. Cover and cook on low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the eggplants are tender and cooked through.
8. Adjust salt and spices as needed. Serve hot with rice or roti.

Prep

• Soak tamarind in warm water for 30 minutes if using whole tamarind instead of paste.